The Stratford and District Chamber of Commerce has selected the 2019 Business Leader of the Year Award.
Tim MacDonald of Ideal Supply was selected from a list of nominees by secret ballot by the Chamber Board of Directors.
The aim of the award is to highlight a personal success story to inspire the community.
MacDonald is the president of Ideal Supply which distributes electrical supplies and automotive parts and equipment from 31 branch locations in southwestern Ontario. The business was started MacDonald joined Ideal Supply in 1981, was named president in 1995, and CEO in 2001, a position he held until he and his siblings sold Ideal Supply to Groupe Deschenes Inc. in 2016.
Ideal has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for nine consecutive years.
MacDonald attributes much of the success of the company to investing in the people who work there, by providing personal development training, allowing flexibility for them to serve in various capacities on boards, local councils and other service groups, and by providing opportunities and inspiration to youth so they stay involved in their rural communities.
“Unless we create room for people to get involved in those types of things, you’re basically pushing responsibility off to someone else to get involved in community work. And then we don’t really have a right to ever complain if we aren’t going to get involved ourselves,” said MacDonald. “We are in every Chamber of Commerce in every community… It’s a way to have a voice and work through common problems.”
